There's a Method in My Madness
by HollidayBLOCKBUSTER
Summary: Zuko and Katara have violent on-and-off again relationship, though they are both in love with other people  AKA: Aang & Mai . In this post-war world, there are plenty of political conflicts and sinister secerts waiting to be discovered. Z/K, Z/M, A/K.
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: I love this story, I hope some of you will feel the same way. I wrote most of the chapter's but it's still a work in progress, so who knows what direction I'll take it.

So before each chapter I put a lyric from "Love the Way You Lie", _Eminem ft. Rihanna_.

**Read & Replie**, I love critics!

**Chapter One**

_Just gonna' stand there and hear me cry? But that's alright, because I love the way you lie,_

Katara manipulated the rain to a standstill, bubbles in midair. Tears streamed down her blotchy face, with vengeance in her eyes, she turned the rain drops into sharp, deadly icicles. She aimed them at the flesh of the man who killed her mother. This was her chance for revenge on the ex Captain of the Southern Raiders. She wanted to see his blood spilt on the ground, mixed with the mud. She pointed the spears like arrows, and with a deep breath, or sigh of relief, she forced the razors to slice through the air.

But as they where about to puncture his withering old skin, they melted back into rain drops and fell on him without any pain. She turned back to Zuko, who nodded his head with understanding, though his eyes revealed confusion, if not disappointment. But they both held their heads high as they walked away from the old man, and kept up their gait until his sobs could no longer be distinguished from the rain itself.

It poured as they slugged through the mud in silence. The down pour drowned out Katara's cries. They were making their way to a barn in the country where Apa was sleeping when Zuko suddenly, but gently, grabbed her hand.

"Katara, I think what you did back there was very brave." They stood under the canopy which offered little protection from the water drops and constricted the darkness under its grip; no light could penetrate its fortress. Zuko stared at her hand. _How soft,_ his mind softly cooed but he put a stop to the thoughts before they could spread. But it was too late, the alluring idea was already planted, and even under force, he couldn't stop it from growing. But he kept his respectful composure, he could not forget who he was talking to, who's trust he was fighting to regain. He swallowed hard before he continued. "Most people don't have the restraint to do what you did." His eyes slowly lingered up to her face. Their fingers started intertwining.

Zuko…" Katara was purposely avoiding eye contact, she barely avoided one mistake, she didn't want to stumble into another. "It wasn't easy. I still wish… I did something to that monster," she let go of his hands and turned away from him, "I let him go too easily." Zuko traced her silhouette with his eyes.

"Katara…" he couldn't stand to see such an innocent woman upset, it reminded him about his own mother. He carefully walked over to her and slowly turned her around. He gazed at her and her tear-filled eyes. His hands pulled her closer to him, and Katara slowly gave in to the temptation of a warm hug. And despite her former disproval of his joining, right now, she needed him. She needed his strength and heat to make her calm.

Zuko took her hug as a sign of acceptance. He did need her, to save the world, and himself. So it was only innocent when he started pulling her closer to him. When one arm snaked around her waist, it was a harmless gesture. That's what he repeated in his head when his body started acting on impulse. The seed was growing, taking over his body, whispering new feelings about Katara. But unlike before, he didn't stop this takeover, in fact, he accepted it. He let his other hand glide up her back, dusting his finger tips on her skin.

She felt goose bumps run up her spine. _Stop this Katara!_ He head screamed, but her body ignored it. She never had feelings for Zuko before, in fact, she could even say she hated him. Her arms found their way behind his neck, pulling him closer. This is not the Katara she knows, she does not act this way just because she's with some pretty boy. _And what about Aang?_

She couldn't ignore the facts: he liked her, a lot, and she did feel the same way… she thinks. There was so much to consider about, so much to analyze. She always had to think about her actions. Anytime she explored outside the neat lines set for her, everything would explode in her face. But she's tired of thinking, of having to control herself. So when the voice of reason in her head was suddenly being talked over by something more alluring, she listened. _Just go for it… who will ever know? And won't it make you happy?_

"What are we doing?" Katara's reason breathed it's last chance for order.

"I don't know," Zuko whispered. He leaned into her, her cold breath a distinct and pleasant difference to his; warm and fiery. Their lips met with a small and stiff kiss, both unsure on each other's reactions. They parted for a moment, a taste of reassurance settled on them like a warm blanket. They pulled one another in so close their heart-beats could be felt through the other's chest. Their lips kissed with a desperate passion, their hands clawing into each other.

Zuko's lust overtook him and he parted her, then slammed her back against the closest tree. Her back stung and burned from the bark, stabbing her through her clothing. Red-flags went off, but before she could react his lips where on her again, and the pain was forgotten. They kissed as the mist from the down pour engulfed them completely.


	2. Chapter 2

**Au: Sorry this took so long, I've been a busy bee! So yeah, hope you enjoy this****  
**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 2- Part 1 **

"…_I love the way you lie." _

"What are we going to tell them?" Katara laid on her back in Appa's saddle, staring at the sky.

"Were not going telling them anything," Zuko said coldly from the nape of the sky bison's neck. "We tell them about the mission, and the mission only. Nothing else will be mentioned." Katara sat up to look at him, though she only saw his stiff back. She felt like pulling the hair out of her head. She hated keeping secrets from her friends, even if the truth would be painful. Her legs were pulled up to her chest and she rested her head on her knees. She let herself drift off into her memory of the morning earlier.

* * *

Katara laid in the mud, the sludge seeping through her clothes and covering her face, though that was irrelevant to her when she first woke. Her eyes fluttered open and she was flustered with confusion. Uncomfortably hot, her eyes adjusted to the light pricing through the trees, but she didn't remember falling asleep where she was. She closed her eyes and thought about her past night's events. The anger, the icicles, the old killer pleading for forgiveness, her restraint, Zuko's hand, Zuko's lips…

Her eyelids flashed open while her stomach dropped. She couldn't help but regret giving herself to him. _It was a mistake, a horrible mistake_. Aang's innocent large eyes crept in her mind. _This is going to break his heart_. Her head began to ache, she wanted to rub her temples, but found her arms bounded to her side. Panicking, she looked down and saw a glistening pallid arm resting over her waist. Alarms rang through her mind, _I don't remember falling sleep with him! How did I get down here? What if he…_

On extreme edge, she swiftly moved his arm off her without waking him, then got up to check over herself. Only then did she notice the dried mud clinging to her. She ignored it, and examined herself carefully. None of her binding was unraveled, nothing undone, and she didn't feel any uncomfortable pain. _So we just fell asleep. _Her shoulder's slumped over with relief knowing she was not taking advantage of when it could have been so easy.

_But who's to say he wasn't using me? _Katara's brow deepened when the possibility flowed through her mind_. One mission doesn't mean he changed. He probably would have done anything to apart of the group… Even kiss me. _The rage took over her and with little thought, she let her hands control the water settled on the soil cover Zuko's body and freeze over him. He woke instantly.

"Katara! What are you doing?" Steam from his nostrils melted the ice easily and he quickly got into a fighting stance. It was all too familiar.

"You will never be one of us!" Her yells echoed off the trees, ringing in his ears. "Kissing a distressed girl! Taken advantage of me, just to get closer to Aang? Your think I wouldn't figure it out? You… monster!" With her words came lashes of water she sucked from trees around her. He tried to keep his stance with his arms crossed in front of his face, while he was repeatedly being pushed back. "You're no better then your father!" Tears stained her face while she shot a powerful blow water that shoved him against a tree.

It was when his back slammed against the bark that he became infuriated. His hands that where gripping the tree ignited with flames, causing the woods to burst into fire. He ran forward slashing the water away from him. Katara sprinted to a thick tree and back flipped off it, still shooting water at Zuko while flipping over him. She landed gracefully on a flat rock, when she stopped to catch her breath. The sight before her was Zuko, frustrated and pain stricken eyes, the flames around his fists getting larger and smaller with his breath. _Why did he stop attacking me?_ Behind him the tree was still burning, black smoke pillaring into the sky. Aang's face appeared in her mind again…

Strong forearms grabbed the back of her legs and her shoulders, lifting her off the rock. A scared eye titled towards her.

"Katara listen to me," He held her tightly in his arms_. _Katara violently squirmed, thrashing her body around trying to loosen his grip. Kicking her legs high into the air then beating them against his legs. His right hand was strategically gripping her arm while he pinned her other arm against her chest. She couldn't water bend, but she kept up her struggle, twisting her body, lashing her head to her shoulder. It barely fazed him. She yelled until her lungs felt like shriveled balloons. Zuko moved his mouth closely to her ear.

"Katara, I kissed you because I wanted to," he spoke gently. While she stilled struggled, it became less forceful. She stared back up at him with new tears streaming down to her cheeks while her brows were pushed together. Zuko rubbed her arm. "I am nothing, _nothing_ like my father. I, the kiss for you… I like you." The words stumbled out of his mouth, but they were sincere. They stared at each other, Katara could feel his heart beating quickly. And then he kissed her. His palm brushed her cheeks, he tenderly brushed her bottom lip for only a moment, before pulling away. His lips curled while he watched her process her next decision. She looked down at herself for a long moment her eyebrows pressed together. Katara then kissed him back.

* * *

Apa yawned and Katara was snapped out of her memory with a smug look on her face. She liked him, that was obvious to her. But she didn't want to keep this new, _relationship_, away from friends and family. Aang would understand, she told herself optimistically.

"Zuko, honestly, what's the worst thing that could happen if we told?" Zuko turned around, looking angry.

"What's the worst thing that could happen?" he started softly. "How about the fact that you have kissed Aang before?" he was yelling at her now. Her jaw dropped as her eyes grew.

"You thought I didn't know? Well I do, and it's so obvious that Aang likes you, what do you think that's going to do to him if he found out? He wouldn't trust me, and he would be heart-broken from you! How is he suppose to fight the Fire Lord if he becomes too distracted from is own pain? What if he becomes so depressed he wouldn't even do it! He could let the world become as miserable, and hopeless as he would be! Do you want the world to end up like that Katara?"

Zuko was standing now, flames around his fists, rage in his eyes, breathing heavily and sharply.

Katara's blue eyes filled with tears as she turned away from him. He realized what he was doing, took a deep breath, and sat down next to her, mostly composed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to act that way." She turned her head, only to glare at him, than turned away again. He continued, "I still have trouble keeping my anger under control…the last thing I want to do is hurt you. Could you forgive me?"

Katara still didn't look at him. Zuko looked down at himself with disappointment, then went back to Aap's neck.

Katara sat on a dock, her feet over the edge, starring sadly into the distance.

"Katara!" Aang said running up to her with Zuko fallowing after him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm doing fine." she paused for a moment. "I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him but, I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it, or if it's because I'm strong enough not to." Aang smiled at her.

"You did the right thing. Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing." Katara stood up and look at him, serious and angry.

"But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him." Her face softened when she saw Zuko. "But I am ready to forgive you." she ran up to the banished prince and hugged him tightly.

Zuko looked up at saw Aang smiling at Katara. He hugged her tighter. _He'll never know_, Zuko thought to himself, _what she's really forgiving me for_.

* * *

**AN: Not too confusing I hope? Don't forget to leave a reply!**


End file.
